How many of you have a test track?
- Thread starter Boydog
- Start date
Ask Kinser and he'll tell you the answer.
I received the SS AM Winner and SS Sub 2.97 badge w/o a test track. It can be done.
I received the SS AM Winner and SS Sub 2.97 badge w/o a test track. It can be done.
- Nov 24, 2011
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Yes you can! I have never owned a track. I do however try to find one to tune on. /images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif
I don't have one. Yet. Had I not won one, I most likely never would have. As Kinser said, it's nice to have one nearby to tune on.
You may also hook up with someone that has a track in a team fashion.
You may also hook up with someone that has a track in a team fashion.
Todd Meyer (E3 PWD) does not have a track and he is having a lot of success right now. He is the current point leader in NPWDRL Eliminator class. He also just won Mid America Modified and Bearing class races.
Goat Boy does not have a track and he is your 2012 Unlimited National Champion and he is your 2012 NPWDRL unlimited series champion.
Quadad does have a track, but he is yet to set it up and he is the 2012 PWDR unlimited champ
However, I have a track and they periodically test on it. So, use Gravity X's Google Map member locator, find someone in your area with a track. Bribe them with Sprecher Root Beer or your wife's famous brownies and have monthly test sessions
Goat Boy does not have a track and he is your 2012 Unlimited National Champion and he is your 2012 NPWDRL unlimited series champion.
Quadad does have a track, but he is yet to set it up and he is the 2012 PWDR unlimited champ
However, I have a track and they periodically test on it. So, use Gravity X's Google Map member locator, find someone in your area with a track. Bribe them with Sprecher Root Beer or your wife's famous brownies and have monthly test sessions
I have a single lane track. I personally don't see much help in testing for dirty air by using multiple lanes.
I find it indispensable when setting the steer. First test, then change drift up or down to reach the sweet spot.
Also really helped in finding out best staging position.
It also helps me choose bodies, wheels and axles, as I trade parts back and forth
Other than that, it only tells me if will be in the top 5 or not when sending proxy cars.
I find it indispensable when setting the steer. First test, then change drift up or down to reach the sweet spot.
Also really helped in finding out best staging position.
It also helps me choose bodies, wheels and axles, as I trade parts back and forth
Other than that, it only tells me if will be in the top 5 or not when sending proxy cars.
I was thinking I might buy a two lane track just to have the extra straight pieces if we're going to run super long tracks here occasionally. With a two lane track I could assemble a long single lane without buying anything extra.
no track for me....even if I could get one, I don't have a straight line of space in my house that long for even 28 ft....that and my wife would likely not agree to having something that long cutting thru the house LOL....and I would not put it outside so (too much rubbish falling on it)....I tune on a 4 foot table with one side slightly elevated to get a small angle/ramp....I think you can do a lot with just that...how fast the car gets rolling on that has been a pretty good estimate of which of my cars are fast out of the gate at least...the only thing I really cannot do is dial in how much more or less steer I can put in a car and still stay stable down a full track run and see how fast the car is in the flats....as such I always shoot for the same steer numbers and weighting based on pass race experience...and as far as staging I use the same "R" or "D" (ala 5 kids) etc for all my cars. Joel stages most of the races that ive been in and does an awesome job....better than I could even if I had a track LOL!!! I do have a 2 foot section of a plastic track knockoff...it has a center guide rail that is the same dimension as a metal best track so its good to make sure that as it rolls a few feet that the drilled canted holes are correctly aligned and when the FDW is on the rail, NOTHING else is touching the rail...this had been pretty helpful especially when I started....
If anyone ever decides to come to Hawaii and brings a track let me know!
So yes one can do well even without a track! But a proper tuning board is a must....and being very meticulous and standardizing your process of building and prepping from start to finish is very important so that you can get a good baseline at each race how your cars perform so that now you can go back between races, make small adjustments (one area at a time so you know its true effect) and fine tune that way. It also helps a great deal to have access to good parts i.e. properly drilled block and lathed wheels, for those of us that do not have drill presses or other fun workbench/floor machine tools....that in itself takes out a lot of variables and errors right from the start....
That's how I do it.
If anyone ever decides to come to Hawaii and brings a track let me know!
So yes one can do well even without a track! But a proper tuning board is a must....and being very meticulous and standardizing your process of building and prepping from start to finish is very important so that you can get a good baseline at each race how your cars perform so that now you can go back between races, make small adjustments (one area at a time so you know its true effect) and fine tune that way. It also helps a great deal to have access to good parts i.e. properly drilled block and lathed wheels, for those of us that do not have drill presses or other fun workbench/floor machine tools....that in itself takes out a lot of variables and errors right from the start....
That's how I do it.
I'm in Alaska and may be coming to Hawaii in the near future for vacation...I dont have a track to bring, though! Hope you dont mind still?? lol /images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif
I do have a 2 lane wood test track. It is 39' pin to timer (Newbold). I designed and built it myself. I find it very helpful in establishing the steer for my cars. I set a steer on my tuning board, run on the track and redo this until I get the fastest time. i usually run 5 times on the track for each steer setting and note the steer as I go. I also use the track to establish the start position of the dominant front wheel. Some cars run faster with the dominant front wheel against the rail and others are better with it just off the rail! The track is also useful for watching for car wiggles as it runs down the track. There is no guarantee here though because I can't determine what influence any adjacent cars might have during a race on the "real race track". I have cars that run best with a steer of 4 or 5 inches at 8 feet and others need this much or more at 4 feet! Still, as some of you have noted, many guys do exceptionally well without a test track. Don't see how they do this but good for them!
I do the same. I'm not really sure how others set the steer without a track as every car is different. Now, I have been able to dial in the steer so close that it can run blazingly fast on its own, but when it "traffic", the wiggles come. A test track can easily be a curse as well as a blessing.
zeebzob said:
Thanks to Zeebzob's Race Shop I have been able to tune my cars there. I do most of the prep work at home, wheels and axles, weight the car, and set the steer on my tuning board. The track time is great to fine tune the steer, try different staging and being able to see how stable the car is. I also keep good notes on my car set ups, any changes I make and test run times so that I always have a good base of info to see if I'm improving or not. All of the help from everyone at Zeebzob's has helped me be pretty competitive in the novice class.
Oh yes, almost forgot. I think Zeebzob uses all of that root beer to brew up special bearing lube that all of these top bearing racers use to win championships!
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